


Her Return

by scribblenubbin



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-02-18 04:18:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2335016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblenubbin/pseuds/scribblenubbin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Susan Ivanova has been disturbed by dreams of what happened when the implanted personality took over Talia Winters every day since it happened. Only one thing could stop those nightmares being replayed time and time again. She never believed that it would happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Return

**Author's Note:**

> A random late night idea that I had to get out before I fell asleep. So I apologise in advance for any typos.

“Talia…” She whimpered her name in her sleep as she had done every night for as long as they had been separated. She rolled over, tears streaking her cheeks and falling heavily onto her pillow. It had been years since the implanted personality had taken over, years since that fateful day in which she had lost the woman she loved, and yet she couldn’t let go of her. Even when she’d considered a relationship with Marcus, she had still whimpered Talia’s name every night in her sleep. Her subconscious mind replaying the moments after the implanted personality had taken over.

As her mind drifted into a more pleasant memory of Talia, her link went off, causing Ivanova to start from her sleep.

“C&C to Ivanova.” Commander Corwin’s voice came through the link.

“Ivanova here.” Her voice was thick with sleep and annoyance.

“Sorry to disturb you, Captain, but President Sheridan wants to see you in his quarters immediately.  He said it’s urgent.” Corwin sounded like he’d rather have not been the messenger.

“Tell him I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Ivanova out.” She wasn’t going to leave room for argument.

Ivanova sighed and pulled herself out of bed, muttering that this better be worth it or she’d kill Sheridan.  It didn’t take long to pull her back into her standard braid, or slip on her uniform, the one she’d only taken off two hours before hand.  She was out of her quarters and outside of the ones Sheridan was using during his visit in fourteen and a half minutes.  She pressed the comm button and waited.

“Come in.” Was the answer she heard in the familiar voice of her friend.

“This better be good Sheridan, I was finally getting to….” Ivanova stopped dead in her tracks as she looked from her former captain to the space she expected to see occupied by Delenn.

Ivanova reached for the nearest wall to steady herself. That was the last face she had expected to see ever again. She felt her heart racing and could feel the room beginning to spin. In a completely uncharacteristic move, Captain Susan Ivanova blacked out as it suddenly became all too much for her to handle.

***

“Susan… Susan…” Her voice was the way she remembered it. Ivanova was dreaming again. She had to be.

“Talia…” She whimpered in the way she always did in her sleep. Except this time, Ivanova’s eyes were opening.

“Susan, it’s really me.” Talia’s blue eyes gently captured her own as Ivanova’s eyes opened.

“But… no… you…. The personality….” She couldn’t put it together in her head. “And Bester said….”

“Bester had nothing to do with this, I can assure.” Talia said softly.

The blonde telepath gently helped her former lover to sit up and sip from a glass of water. Her hands naked of the black gloves that had once marked her as part of Psi Corps.

“Not got anything stronger?” Ivanova managed to ask after a few minutes.

“I think that would be unwise, given the shock you have received.” Delenn’s voice reached her ears.

“Maybe in a bit.” Talia said, reaching a compromise.

Ivanova’s eyes searched the blue ones she had come to know so well. They reflected back that same love that she had seen before the personality took over, effectively killing the Talia she knew. But still the Captain of Babylon 5 still couldn’t believe it. She refused to believe it. Talia’s personality had been killed. She was dead. Ivanova had had to reconcile herself with that. The only thing stopping her from completely letting go had been the nightly remembrances that she had no control over. But she could feel Talia holding her. She could smell that familiar perfume, slightly musky with a hint of vanilla and was it roses or raspberries? Ivanova had never been able to work that out.

“Susan, I’m here. I’m back and I’m not going anywhere.” Talia said, picking up on the thoughts that Ivanova was broadcasting.

“I told you to never….” Ivanova tried to pull away but found herself unable to move. Exhausted by lack of sleep and the fainting episode.

“I’m not. But even you can broadcast your thoughts sometimes.” Talia said softly.

“But how?” Ivanova questioned.

“It’s a long story. One I don’t know all of. But I do know that it had something to do with Delenn and the C…. I mean President.” Talia answered.

“Are you sure you want to hear all of it now?” Sheridan asked, sitting on the couch opposite them with Delenn.

“Well considering you woke me up after two hours sleep, I think I deserve the story.” Ivanova answered, still not taking her eyes from Talia.

***

“But I thought we knew about the Psi Corps base on Mars.” Ivanova looked at Sheridan confused.

“We did, we just didn’t realise there was more than one base.” He answered her calmly.

“It was found by one of our Ranger teams, abandoned and in a terrible state of disrepair.” Delenn added. “They could read a single life sign within the structure. Given that it appeared structurally unsound they decided that it would be best to rescue the person within.”

“That life sign was you?” Ivanova asked Talia, aware that she no longer cared that she was leaning against Talia’s arm.

“It was.” Talia answered. “Although I was unconscious when they found me.

“From what we could understand, it appears that they had been in the process of trying to reverse the damage the implanted personality had done.” Sheridan spoke calmly.  “The only problem was that they had never finished what they were doing. The building was abandoned when Psi Corps was disbanded, mid-way through the procedure.”

“In effect they’d removed the personality but not started to bring me round.” Talia said quietly.

“Those bastards!” Ivanova was angry with them.  “How could anyone leave a living being behind?”

“It was Psi Corps.” Sheridan said, knowing it would explain everything.

“The rangers brought Talia back onto their ship and flew her to Minbar with the hope that perhaps my people could restore her to consciousness.” Delenn said softly. “It was harder than expected.”

“How long were you on Minbar?” Ivanova asked.

“I’m told about six months, I was unconscious for four of them.” Talia answered.

“ _Six months?_ You’ve known Talia was alive for six months and not told me?” Ivanova looked at Delenn. The only person she had ever told that she loved Talia.

“We thought it best to see if we could restore her health before telling anyone.” Delenn said softly.  My people worked tirelessly to help restore Talia’s mind. But even our most experienced telepaths struggled to reach her.  It was then that I suggested bringing in Alisa Beldon. As she had known Talia before the implanted personality took over.”

“Alisa…” Ivanova smiled a little as she remembered the young girl who had chosen life with the Minbari over life with Psi Corps, much to Talia’s annoyance.

“Her abilities have grown. She could easily rival Bester now, probably even overpower him.” Talia smiled softly.  “The first time I remember feeling anything, was when she touched my subconscious.  I heard her voice, distant at first, but it got steadily stronger.  I’m told she spent three days bringing me to the surface without resting.”

“Remind me to send her a present.” Ivanova said, her heart softening in only the way Talia could make it.  “But why the extra two months?”

“I could barely speak for the first few days. Although I was acutely aware of everything around me, what was being said, who was in the room with me. I knew there was a huge gap in my memory but I couldn’t voice my confusion. Alisa slept on a bed near mine, slowly drip feeding me telepathically with what had happened after the programmed personality took over.  By the time she had finished, I could speak again, but I demanded to be left alone. I was ashamed. I couldn’t believe they’d implanted it into me without me knowing. They’d turned me into the worst kind of sleeper agent and I hated to think what I’d done. What I’d said to people. What I may have said to you.” Talia looked at Ivanova with tears forming in her eyes.

“I know it wasn’t you.” Ivanova whispered softly, bringing up her hand to rest on Talia’s arm.  “You could never have been that cruel.”

“When I eventually let Am… Delenn, into the room with me, she persuaded me that I should come back here. It took over a month for me to even let her into the room. And at first she was the only one apart from Alisa that I would let in.” Talia looked over at Delenn with something resembling fondness.

“And as soon as she was strong enough, which took another few weeks, I persuaded her it was time to come back.” Delenn said gently.

“I’ve gone from having a programmed personality, to being an empty shell, to being me again.” Talia said quietly. “Fully me. All my memories, all my feelings.”

“You should rest. Both of you.” Delenn said, she saw the way the two women were looking at each other.

“Rest.” Sheridan said, firmly.

“I could use a few more hours sleep.” Ivanova said with a sigh.

“As could I.” Talia agreed. “How about I help you back to your quarters?”

Ivanova nodded. She had no intention of letting Talia leave her side when they got there. And she hoped that Talia had no intention of leaving her.

***

Back inside the safety of her quarters, Ivanova turned to look at Talia before gently pulling her close. She took in the way the blonde still fit within her arms as if she was made to be there, felt the way Talia’s hands clung to her back as if desperately searching for a lifeline. Ivanova gently pulled Talia towards the bedroom, not intending on doing anything but sleeping beside the woman she had loved and would always love. Not tonight, tonight would be about comfort for both of them.

As they reached the bedroom she slowly started pulling her clothes off, aware of Talia’s eyes on her. Ivanova felt an uncharacteristic blush grazing her cheeks. She hadn’t felt that stare in a very long time.  Her freckled skin being taken in with the appreciation and love that only Talia was capable of.

“Susan… I…” Talia said softly as Ivanova reached for her night dress.

“You what?” Ivanova asked gently.

“I don’t suppose you’ve got a nightdress I can borrow?” Talia almost laughed as she said it.

Ivanova moved over to the closet and pulled down a very familiar nightdress from the top shelf. She wouldn’t admit it, but she’d slept with that nightdress draped over a pillow for the first few months after Talia left. She’d wanted to keep the part of the telepath alive that she remembered fondly.

“You left this here… I… I couldn’t bring myself to throw it out. I hope it’s still in good enough condition. I mean…. It’s been years.” She said as she passed it to Talia.

“It’s perfect.” Talia smiled and gently leaned in, kissing Ivanova chastely on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Both women finished changing for bed in comfortable silence as if they had never been apart.  Talia climbed into her side of the bed as Ivanova climbed into hers. The brunette looked across at the blonde with disbelief still in her eyes.

“If you’re not here when I wake, this is the cruellest dream my mind has given me yet.” She said softly.

“I’ll be here. And every morning that you’ll have me after that.” Talia said, laying her head on her love’s chest.

“Computer, lights out.” Ivanova said as her hand started running through Talia’s blonde hair which had gotten longer over the years.

For the first time since Talia had left, Susan Ivanova slept without reliving that awful moment which had stolen her one true love from her.


End file.
